Adelaide United&#39;s new recruit diagnosed with swine flu

Adelaide United's newly recruited striker Lloyd Owusu is off to an unfortunate start with the A-League club after being diagnosed with swine flu.

Owusu, 32, touched down to join the Reds on June 30 and has since fallen ill, being placed in isolation by United medical staff on Sunday.

He is now more than likely to be missing when the Reds commence their regular season fixtures with a match against Perth Glory on August 7.

Club doctor James Illic said Owusu's case had also been complicated by pneumonia.

"Lloyd has got confirmed swine flu complicated by pneumonia. You can get varying side effects such as aches with the virus but Lloyd got pneumonia with it," Dr Ilic said.

"The incubation period would suggest that he either got it almost straight after arriving in Australia or on the flight from the UK, they're the two likely scenarios.

"He has been in isolation since Sunday. He's progressing well but he's still awhile away from joining the main group.

"It's no different from dealing with human influenza, which is relatively common. It's just a matter of him getting plenty of rest, symptomatic treatment and lots of fluid, and treatment with the anti viral drug Tamiflu."

A gregarious character with a lengthy career in the lower tiers of English football, Owusu quipped the flu had made for quite a welcome to Adelaide.

"Definitely it's a massive setback but at the end of the day health is the most important, first and foremost," Owusu said.

"I've never had this before so it was like 'welcome to Adelaide, thanks very much'.

"I'm slowly getting my energy back and I feel a lot better but internally the pneumonia is still there.

"I'll just get back in with the boys slowly but we just need to make sure we manage it well, but to be fair I realistically probably won't be in action for a week or two yet."

Earlier on Thursday it was confirmed Gold Coast United young gun Tahj Minniecon had also contracted swine flu.

The result of tests today confirmed former Roar winger MINNIECON had the H1N1 virus.

Although not confirmed as having swine flu, Daniel Piorkowski, Adam Griffiths, Matt Osman and Joel Porter have all displayed similar symptoms for the Gold Coast and have been quarantined for a week.